


The Point of Brunch

by ikknowplaces



Series: Sarai Finds Out AU [2]
Category: The Dragon Prince (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Dinner Date, F/F, Fluff, Inspired by Fanart, Mild Smut, Secret Relationship, Softness, To Be Continued, brunch date, excessive hand holding, janai being hot and a great photographer, sarai finds out au
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-25
Updated: 2020-03-25
Packaged: 2021-03-01 04:09:07
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,820
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23318878
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ikknowplaces/pseuds/ikknowplaces
Summary: Amaya and Janai spend the night at Amaya's place, and go to brunch in the next day.
Relationships: Amaya/Janai (The Dragon Prince)
Series: Sarai Finds Out AU [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1810054
Comments: 14
Kudos: 73





	The Point of Brunch

**Author's Note:**

> finallyyyyy. i waited, i know some of y'all waited, and now it is hereee. oh my god it took me so long i don't connect what happens before the brunch to what happens after it
> 
> anyway, this was inspired by iateawasp's [lovely fanart](https://iateawasp.tumblr.com/post/190679544047/amayas-janais-modern-au-janaya-based-on) based on the previous fic that i posted in silver and gold. the "three weeks ago" at the beginning is three weeks before the first fic of this little verse. and i am working on a following fic where amaya introduces janai to everyone at a friday dinner
> 
> also i'm rating this as an m because it has a suggestive scene, so, just in case. the next fic will also have a similar scene
> 
> i hope you'll enjoy this mess??

* * *

**Three weeks ago.**

They were having dinner in Amaya's place. She had invited Janai over for the night, a Friday night no less, and while Janai initially suggested they could go out for supper, Amaya had insisted she had already prepared some.

The soft light of the kitchen brightened Janai's eyes as she scooped the remains of her meal. "Did I tell you about that time I took my brother to a rock concert?"

Amaya shook her head. Janai hadn't shared much about her siblings other than their names and what they were doing in life. Khessa was older, by five years, and she stayed in Lux Aurea as their governor. Ori was the younger of three, abroad majoring in history. Janai had presented those facts without much sentiment, but as independent as she was, Amaya imagined it would still be difficult, to have your only family so far away. They didn't know about her, though she didn't hold it against Janai. She hadn't told Sarai yet either.

"With screams and everything?" She signed and spun her glass before draining the last of the water inside.

A grin broke on Janai's face. "No, it was more of soft rock," she leaned back on her chair and lightly drummed her fingers against the table. "My brother is a real nerd. Too polite, funny, could spend the whole day with his nose buried in books. Timid, even. Sometimes." She tried to picture him as Janai spoke. Humor must have been something that was shared in their family, because Janai managed to make her laugh like no other, but she couldn't imagine any of her relatives as shy. "He was in a real shock when it just started, but he ended up enjoying it more than I did. The best part was that he lost his voice for a week."

Amaya broke into a smile. She'd ask Janai for pictures, but not now. Her gaze wandered to her empty plate and she picked it from the table, along with her own and the two glasses. She set them in the sink, with Janai following behind her.

"Let me do it this time," she signed, albeit weakly, though it never ceased to make Amaya's heart flutter that she was making the effort to communicate better with her. 

"You are my guest," she raised two fingers on each hand and shuffled them back and forth, with a small smile, knowing that wouldn't satisfy Janai at the slightest. 

"You did the dishes when we were at my house," Janai's voice rose, but she couldn't prevent the smile from creeping on her face. Amaya continued to stare at her. "We had cake, they were this small," she made the shape with both of her hands.

Amaya giggled. She didn't want to bother Janai, not as a guest nor as a hostess. It was amusing to think that the closest disagreement they had was over plates and silverware.

Janai scoffed and lowered her hands. "Okay, out," she pushed Amaya away from the sink. For a heartbeat, Amaya was frozen. Not a lot of people had the nerve to push her around, and she forgot that Janai was as strong as her. She must have noticed her astonishment, because her features softened. "You cook, I clean." 

Her words hung in the air. Her hands movements, more like it. Amaya saw the moment the meaning of Janai's words hit her. One could mistake them for a long time couple, dividing chores between them. In truth, it has only been three months. 

"Go sit," Janai concluded, motioning at the couch, and turned her back.

Sobered, Amaya did as she was told, and slumped on the couch. She grabbed the remote and turned the television on, but not sooner her gaze wandered to Janai, letting the water drip from the plate before placing it to dry.

She caught her from the corner of her eyes and shifted. "So hard?" She asked, smirking, and brought one hand covered with soap on top of the other, two fingers bent. 

Amaya shook her head and Janai returned to her task. She skipped through the list of shows to find the show they had begun to watch together: Xadia Law. Amaya knew it existed, but was never too interested in this kind of a show, usually full of fake facts and actors that recite their lines without understanding, but her need of a new show overcame her, and so they began to watch it together, even if it was bad.

Her thoughts were cut short when Janai dropped beside her and raised her legs on the table to tangle with Amaya's. "All done," she said, and pushed against her. 

"Thank you," she brought her hand forward from her chin.

"You're welcome," Janai tilted her head to give her a small kiss, which Amaya happily accepted. "What episode are we on?" She asked when they broke apart.

"Fifteen," Amaya raised a hand and bent four fingers. Janai stared at her, eyes drifting from her face to her hand. She has been teaching her sign since their earlier dates, and Janai understood most of the things, but it was no surprise she needed some clarifications. Amaya showed all of her fingers, then closed one hand.

"Oh, fifteen," Janai lit up and copied the gesture. "Okay, I get it," she pointed towards the ceiling at the side of her head with a smirk that made Amaya smile.

The episode was seemingly like every other one they had watched before. It opened with some terrible murder of an innocent person which is first conceived as very hard to solve, but with some technology that Amaya knew wasn't real and some explanations she doubted their credibility as a detective, the case was solved. She had realized a long time ago they were only watching it simply to point out some of the ridiculous lines the actors have to repeat without understanding, and occasionally for Amaya to show off she figured the problem out before the episode would end.

In the middle, Janai paused to make them a cup of tea, a habit that wasn't new to Amaya. The first time she had visited her house, she saw Janai had a little cabinet full of jars with dried tea leaves, of any kind. She also had a small metallic teapot which she placed on top of an opened bowl on the stove. In almost every time they were in Amaya's place, Janai made herself a cup, which led to Amaya to realize she only had the regular, green tea kind, and she stopped between the isles of the grocery store checking out the other kinds.

Janai sipped the last of her hibiscus berry tea and set the cup on the low table. "Thank you for inviting me over." The movements of her hands were slightly coarse, but they were correct all the same. "I'm having a wonderful time."

Amaya placed the cup warming her hands away as well. "Me too."

Janai grinned at her, the bright lights making her eyes almost golden, and leaned for a kiss, her hands on top of Amaya's. They lingered on each other after Janai pulled away, a faint blush across her cheeks. Amaya ran her thumb on the back of her hand in circles before she brought her into another kiss.

That was the part she had missed the most, perhaps, and Janai opened up to her with ease. She moved her hands to the back of her neck, fingers running through Amaya's short hair, and she could feel the sweetness of the tea on her lips. Warmness sparked within Amaya's chest. The angle was a bit difficult, but Janai folded her legs on the couch and turned to her, and they breathed between the kiss together.

Her hand trailed up Janai's spine and rested there, opened, and she felt the vibrations when Janai sighed into her lips, hand cradling her cheek.

Despite the heated living room, Amaya could feel coldness ghosting her lips when Janai pulled away to regain her breath. She pursed them, face coloring, but held out steady hands. "Do you want to go somewhere more comfortable?" The words felt cliche on her hands, but she delivered them with calm, and brushed a twisted lock of Janai's hair. This would be only their second time, if she'd agree. 

A smirk turned the corner of her lips. "Is that your way of asking me if I want to go to the bedroom?" Her smile grew wider, and she traced the round neckline of Amaya's loose shirt.

She nodded, catching her finger, and Janai stood up. She turned to her, outreaching her hand. "Lead the way," she said.

Amaya got to her feet and took Janai's offered hand, and led her towards her bedroom, though Janai knew the way too well. As they stepped down the hall, Amaya recalled the feeling of Janai's soft skin under her during their first tine, while she left a trail of kisses down her neck, and caressed the side of her thigh as they kissed, Janai bringing her close until there was no space left between them.

Once inside her room, she moved to face Janai, who gave her a heartful smile before she rushed forward to cup her face and claim her lips. Amaya picked up where they left off and deepened the kiss, holding Janai's arms as she walked them back further into the room. 

Her ankles hit the nightstand by her bed, and Amaya blindly searched for the air conditioner remote as Janai's hands crept up beneath her shirt. She bent her knees and Janai opened an eye to break the kiss just when Amaya grabbed the remote.

"It will get cold," she explained and turned it on. 

Janai let out an amused puff of air and brought Amaya to hold her high on the sides of her body. She began to take off her wine-colored knitted sweater and Amaya helped her remove it entirely off her arms.

With her sweater dropped on the floor, her gaze wandered to Janai's bra, which had the same shade. "Matched your shirt?"

"Do you like it?" She ran a finger over the strap, a glint in her eyes.

Amaya inched closer, sliding her hands away from Janai's back. "It's you I like."

"Aww," Janai made a show of tilting her head, sighing, and she wound her arms around Amaya's shoulders, who brought her into another kiss. Janai smiled into the kiss, hands almost tugging the hem of Amaya's shirt, and Amaya lifted her hands for her to slid it off. 

They made a quick job of getting rid of their pants and Amaya settled comfortably against the mattress, with Janai on top of her. Her hands roamed her body slowly, going from her shoulder blades to as far as she could travel. Janai kissed her sweetly, dipping her head to taste her lips, perfectly aligned together. 

There was just one last thing she needed to do. She released the golden clasp holding Janai's hair, and watched as the crimson locks fell to frame her face. Janai followed her as she placed the clasp on the nightstand, a hint of a smile on her face. Amaya shifted beneath her, one hand holding the small of her back, the other brushing her locks. A wave of warmness coursed through Janai, and she bent to gift Amaya with another kiss.

**-**

Even on her days off, Amaya liked to wake up early. Sleeping until noon would make her feel like she had wasted half of the day, and cause her to fall asleep in a late hour when she needed to wake up early for the station. In most, if not all days, she had her smart watch strapped to her wrist, with a vibrating alarm, but with Janai around, things were different.

"You don't need that," she untied the watch and held it with both of her hands. "I'll wake you up, I promise." 

Amaya held out her pinky. Janai had told her a long time ago she wakes up by herself as soon as the light reached her window, but still, she wanted some guarantee. Janai crooked her pinky around hers and leaned for a kiss.

She was now blowing out on her steaming cup of tea, sitting with her legs crossed up on the couch, when Amaya emerged from the hall after washing her face. The promise was fulfilled, and she woke her up gently rocking her shoulder, leaving a few chaste kisses at the nape of her neck. One of the benefits of speaking with their hands came when Janai greeted her _good morning._ No suffering from bad breath.

"I made you some coffee," she gestured at the kitchen counter, where she left a fresh glass for Amaya. She wasn't certain whether or not she'd want some space, having just woken up, but Amaya sank on the couch beside her. 

They watched the morning show for a while, slowly finishing their drinks, then Amaya turned to the window, letting in some strong sunlight she didn't expect to see. "It's sunny outside."

"Yes, it looks like the rain decided to spare us for a day," she pushed up the sleeves of her pajama and tapped the porcelain of the glass, deep in thoughts. "I have an idea," she shifted towards Amaya. "Do you want to go out for brunch?" She spelled the last word.

That, Amaya did not expect. There was one truly important meal of the day, and that was breakfast. She would never skip it, not in any day, taking the time to roast some toast with cheese, scramble some eggs with vegetables, or even a healthy bowl of cereal with yogurt when she didn't feel like cooking. Either way, she always left home with a full stomach, ready to start the day.

But to skip breakfast, and _combine_ it with lunch? She had a strict rule of never skipping meals, but she had never considered _joining_ them. She'd have to ask Gren and Corvus if that counted as skipping. She gazed into Janai's eyes, so kind and sweet, the thought of them sharing dishes together in the sunlight that made her seem so golden.

"We don't have to, if you don't want," she shrugged.

How could she resist her? "No," she shook her head. "I want to."

**-**

Janai fanned on herself as soon as they entered the car, and rolled the window down after Amaya started the engine. "To think that it was raining all week. I'm lucky I brought a short shirt."

She glanced away to look at Janai's said short-sleeved shirt, loose with stripes of gold on red, which she tucked into her jeans. Her gaze wandered to Janai's eyelids, painted with a sharp streak of black. 

"You don't have to do that, you know," she leaned against the sink counter as Janai stood in front of the mirror.

"Oh, sunshine, this is for me," she spoke as the little brush followed the curve of her lid, and thickened the line at the end. She spun the narrow bottle close when she was done and turned to her. "You know when I really made an effort? At our first dates."

Amaya raised an eyebrow and smiled on one side, in disbelief. She remembered those dates. From the first second Janai's beauty was striking, with her nice outfits and pretty crimson hair and the golden piercings on her ears. The most memorable thing she had was a layer on gold glitter on top of her mascara, when they went out to a bar one evening.

"Did it work?" She dropped the bottle into a golden purse. 

She didn't want to admit being swayed so easily. Even without anything on her face Janai was the most beautiful woman she had ever seen, but Janai already knew that. She nodded, and she laughed

They were driving to a small restaurant not so far away from Janai's apartment, so Amaya could drop her off for the rest of the Saturday once they were done. It saddened her that their sweet time together would come to an end, but Janai had the university tomorrow, and Amaya needed to return to the station. 

Just by the outside look, it seemed like a lot of other people seized the opportunity of a sunny day to spend it outdoors. In pairs or groups, they settled in pale white chairs and dined together amongst the gentle breeze that had quickly replaced the harsh winds of the past week.

The fell into a slow pace together, and Janai snuck her arm in the crook of Amaya's elbow, who was walking on the closer side of the pavement to the road. Janai grinned at her, so gleaming in the sunlight almost forgotten by the rainy month, and Amaya grinned back and pushed her closer.

Though she couldn't ignore the feeling tightening her stomach and threatening to rise when they were welcomed into the restaurant, and picked a table outside, because Janai loved the sun, and she could use some of it too. It was far from their house, on the other side of town, but Sarai, Harrow, and the kids could pop here for one of their usual, Saturday entertainments. Never has Amaya seen parents who were so eager to get their kids out of the house instead of letting them watch television all day, especially on a Saturday, the holy day of relaxation.

Amaya pushed the disturbing thoughts down. It was a beautiful day, the sky was vibrant and clear, and they were sitting next to a row of flowers outlining the restaurant's deck, and their sweet smell traveled in the wind. 

"I swear I know the menu by heart," Janai stared at the open pages, and signed without looking up. 

Amaya leaned back in her seat, a smile rising on her face because of the fluidity Janai signed with. "I've never been to brunch before," she said. 

"It's the same food," Janai shrugged. "I'm thinking, do you want to share?"

And so it began. To start with, they ordered roasted bagels that were cut open, with cheese cream and a plate of fresh vegetables, because Amaya had a strong and rather personal dislike of salads. For herself, Amaya took a plate of small, round omelets with parsley and mushrooms, and Janai took a sweet tomato quiche with onions.

"So Kazi has their birthday next week," she began after the first bite and reached out for a slice of bell pepper. "And I've been wrecking my kitchen trying to make this giant, flaming chocolate cake we eat every year."

Amaya giggled at the flaming part. Somehow that didn't surprise her. "Why not just buy it?"

Janai waited to swallow another portion of the quiche before she resumed her signing. "We buy it every year, I wanted to make it this time. Challenge my baking skills, you know?" She set her fork down and an irritated tint shadowed over her face. "The thing is, it has this molten chocolate core filled with marshmallows, so when you crack it open it all spills free. And it's supposed to be served on fire."

Amaya tilted her head and popped a cherry tomato into her mouth. "That sounds intense. How do you eat a cake that has been on fire anyway?"

"Very carefully," Janai flickered her eyes up to emphasize, voice drowned with sarcasm. "I don't even eat it, it's too sweet for me. I just roast the untouched marshmallows over the fire." She turned her attention to her glass of frozen mint lemonade and lit up. "Oh my god, this is so good. You have to taste it."

Amaya eyed her drink, and bent over. Janai reached over to her, lifting the glass, and Amaya took the straw between her teeth. The crash iced juice filled her mouth with coldness, in such contrast with the heated air around them. 

"Good, right?" Janai asked, a glint of pride in her eyes. 

Amaya nodded, and her eyes went down. She cut a piece of one of the last omelets with the side of her fork and raised it, elbow against the wooden table. "Do you want some?"

Janai's sweet smile curled to the corner of her lips as her eyes lidded. "Yes, please," she said, before she leaned forward. She gently held Amaya's wrist as their eyes met, their legs brushing underneath the table, and warmth rose to Amaya's cheeks in an unexpected wave. Janai pulled back to chew on the omelet piece, staring at the sky as if savoring each flavor. "This is good," she concluded in the end, "but I think I'll stick to my quiche."

Amaya nodded in approval, finally taking a breath, and slumped back in the chair, letting her muscles loose, and the blush receded on her face.

Janai broke the remaining bagel apart for them, and they continued to share their meal in silence. Quietness with Amaya was something she had gotten used to a long time ago, calm and not overbearing. It was something she had considered since their first day, but she wouldn't take a lifetime of talking with another partner now that she had Amaya. Well into her adulthood and after a long pause from relationships, she had vowed she would only enter one if it was free of drama. No more mind-reading or games. Just some serenity, with a partner that would understand her, not like all the other women. Then the world met her with Amaya, and she had never seen brighter days.

Her gaze wandered to Amaya, who was finishing her omelets. Their feet still brushed beneath the table. This was a game she wouldn't mind playing. This light teasing. The euphoria of last night still held her, and it was only their second time.

They had a rule of no phones when they were spending time together, but Janai had an idea. She nudged Amaya's leg. "Can you take a picture of me?"

Amaya took the phone from her, the camera already open, and nearly pushed it back after she pointed it at Janai, the light perfectly framing her, as if she was directing it to fall on her, and she wasn't even smiling. Like magic. She pressed the round button and took the picture as Janai alternated between one pose and another, finally smiling, and Amaya's grin grew wider with each photo she took, Janai pursing her lips to a kiss and holding her glass to the side of her face making her giggle the most.

"You're such a good photographer," Janai exclaimed as she browsed through the photos. _No,_ Amaya wanted to say, _you just look perfect._ "Your turn now," she signed with one hand before raising her phone to Amaya's face.

Amaya glanced to the side, and Janai saw her signs through the lens. "I'm not very good at this."

Janai lowered her phone for a moment. "Just smile, you look great," she said, and Amaya did smile, though she felt every muscle of her body visible to the camera tense. Janai must have caught it, because she inclined her head with a sigh. "Not like that, this is a fake smile. Smile your real smile," she took Amaya's hand and ran slow circles with her thumb on the back of her hand, her fingers brushing the inside of her wrist. Before she could resist it, a genuine smile did form on her face, and her shoulders slumped, the tension in them dissolving, and her hand sunk further into Janai's.

She couldn't quite see what Janai was saying with the phone hiding her lips, but she was nodding in excess, and snatched the phone back before Amaya could see the results. Janai sighed, putting a hand over her chest, and turned her phone over. "Look how cute!" She tapped two fingers to her chin, and Amaya blushed at the memory. It was one of the first things she told Gren after their first date. _She's really cute._

Amaya took the phone from her to see what the excitement was all about. She wasn't expecting much, but her heart skipped a beat at the first picture, and resumed its beating as she skimmed through the rest. She was not as nearly as natural and fun as Janai looked, but they were still nice to look at. 

"Thank you," she said. "These are very good."

Janai dragged her phone to the corner of the table, a satisfied smile on her face. "You're very welcome," she brought Amaya into a lingering kiss by the back of her neck, and Amaya was just savoring the taste of her lips when she drew away. "Don't worry, I won't upload it anywhere," she slid her hand from the short ends of her hair to squeeze her forearm. 

Amaya should have seen it coming. They had agreed, almost unspokenly, to keep their relationship private for a while. Amaya had agreed, because she knew Sarai would never leave her if she told her she had a girlfriend after years of being single. She also knew Janai didn't have family in Katolis, so any sharing would be minimal on her side, but during the last couple of weeks, something had changed. Amaya felt herself wanting to break the secret more and more, but whenever she began to bring the topic, she stopped, not wanting to ruin the nice time they were having.

This wasn't a good time either, nor the right place. "Could you send them to me?" She asked instead.

Clouds were drifting away to block the sun's light by the time they left the restaurant. It was a short drive to Janai's house, two blocks and a turn to the right. The single apartments of Amaya's neighborhood were replaced by the rows of ten stories buildings where Janai lived. 

She reached to take her bag from the back seat when they arrived at her house, and they walked towards the entrance together. 

Janai whirled to her, just where the path began. "Thank you for two lovely days," she took both of her hands and gave her a chaste kiss. "I had a great time."

"Me too," Amaya drew one hand to answer and brought her into a longer kiss. With the hand that wasn't holding hers, Janai cupped her cheek.

A burst of wind came when they seperated, and Amaya felt the warmness of Janai's lips on her own fading with the breeze. Janai gave her one last smile before she turned around towards the entrance, but Amaya didn't release her hold even when Janai couldn't proceed with a second step.

She tugged at her hand, leaving it at midair, and Janai spun closer to her, laughing. "You don't want to let me go yet?" She held Amaya's waist.

Amaya shrugged, earning another laugh, and Janai draped her arms over her shoulders, standing so close their legs aligned together as if they were joined. "Tell you what, how about I drop off tomorrow too? We can have dinner again," her eyes fell to Amaya's lips as she spoke, and stroked her hair.

Amaya liked that idea. "At your place, maybe?" She gestured at the building behind them.

Janai pursed her lips and nodded, every inch of her face alight. "I'll get us some really good wine."

Amaya followed her eyes, so bright in the sun the deep brown in them turned ember, and caressed her hair. As if being pulled by an invisible string together, they inched closer until their lips met, and this time Amaya opened herself for Janai, who tightened her grip across her shoulders. 

It might have been seconds or hours, a dozen bystanders could pass them or none at all, nothing mattered but Janai at her side. Amaya didn't want her to leave and for their day to come to an end, but the second kiss sweetened the sour. 

She didn't fail to notice the change of hue in Janai's cheeks. "So, you," she jammed a finger at her shoulder and ran her hand down her arm. "Have a nice day, and I will see you tomorrow," she tilted her head at the end as if in question.

Amaya nodded in response. "Have a nice day, too."

Janai laid a quick kiss to her cheek, like the courage would leave her if she wouldn't do so, and made her way towards the front door on the marble path. 

"Try not to miss me so much," she said, well ahead so Amaya would have a struggle trying to read her lips if she wasn't signing.

Amaya chuckled. "I'll try," she signed back, and Janai waved at her just before she disappeared into the building.

Alone, Amaya leaned back against her car, and let out a long sigh, wiping her face as the sun shined on her. Until tomorrow.

**Author's Note:**

> thank you for reading!
> 
> my [tdp sideblog](https://rrunaan.tumblr.com)


End file.
